-Chapter 7-
After saving the supply-line, Foxhound Squad made their way back to where Gen. Morrios' army was fighting against the Athenian defense forces. The two sides were still locked in fierce combat as Morrios remained perched on top of the same hill, giving orders to his forces from a safe distance instead of fighting down below alongside them. Along with him were his two bodyguards, flanking each of his sides, and two standard Requins. Being the main person in charge of the arrest, Mikael moved to the front of the squad to confront the general, Karith following closely behind him. Kale wasn't too far behind with Leena taking to the rear, trying to give off the impression that she was as least involved as possible.
As he got closer, Mikael let out a nervous sigh, never having apprehended anyone as high as a general before. Once he got close enough, he began the summary arrest. "General Morrios," he said, standing firmly in front of him.
Having been addressed by someone random out of the blue, Morrios reluctantly turned around to see Mikael and the rest of Foxhound Squad. "Oh look who's back. What is it now?" he asked, ignoring Mikael and looking back to his troops on the ground.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to dismount and come quietly. You're under arrest," said Mikael, taking a few steps closer.
Immediately after he said that, Morrios' two bodyguards drew their weapons and took up combat stances, poised to pounce on Mikael and the rest of foxhound Squad. The act caused Mikael to reach for his rapier until Morrios motioned for his men to stand down, prompting him to remove his hand from his weapon. The general then fully turned around and confronted Mikael.
"On what charges, Captain? Is this about that silly, little village you all happened to stumble upon?" asked Morrios, his sword already in his hand as it glistened in the sun.
"What do you think, general? Killing innocent civilians? Violating Military Law? Unnecessary suffering? Ring any bells?" asked Mikael as he remained calm.
Morrios let out an exasperated sigh and stepped closer to Mikael. "Do you want to know what I think? I think you're way out of your league and should just turn around and go back to wherever it is you came from. You're wasting my time," he said, starting to lose his patience with the farce Mikael was trying to create.
"Sir, it is my duty as a member of the Military Police to uphold order and discipline within our ranks, and you sir, are breaking the law. Surrender yourself quietly or I will be forced to take you in by force," said Mikael as he started him down.
As soon as he said that, Karith cringed as she looked to him. "Mikael, you can't be serious?" she said in a concerned tone.
Mikael looked back to her, assuring her that he knew what he was doing. "Don't worry, Karith. I got this," he said as on a private channel.
Karith gave him a nod and stepped back a bit, giving him some space to carry out the arrest. After putting Karith's concerns to rest, Mikael refocused his attention back on the general and faced him; though, he was bluffing when he said he would use force. Even if he were still in the Military Police, he still wouldn't have conducted an arrest as significant as that without at least a backup unit of ten other individuals to support him. Unfortunately, he was forced to work with what he had at the moment and just improvised.
Seeing that Mikael wouldn't budge, the general finally lost his nerve and thrust his sword, impaling him right through the chest as he turned around. As the blade cut straight through the torso, traces of red was seen along the edge of the blade as it penetrated through the back. Mikael's golem went limp as it sagged slightly, remaining immobile. After the general withdrew his sword, the golem fell to its knees then forward onto its front, kicking up dust as it hit the ground with a hard thud.
Karith's eyes widened as she momentarily lost the ability to speak. Time seemed to stop as she witnessed the edge of a sword exit the back of Mikael's golem, the crimson traces shimmering in the sunlight. Kale was just as speechless, choking on her words as she watched her friend's gray golem lying still on the ground. Standing off to the side and away from the rest of the squad, Leena couldn't help but let out a gasp of shock as she beheld the general's dishonorable deed.
Recovering her blade, the general scoffed at Mikael's lifeless golem and looked to his bodyguards. "Get rid of these traitors," he said, stepping back to allow his minions to do all the dirty work. His two bodyguards and the other two standard Requins present there acknowledged and focused on the rest of Foxhound Squad.
The two bodyguards gladly charged ahead, one headed straight for Karith while the other one started for Leena. Karith was still in complete shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. As the bodyguard gunning for her swung his sword at her still frozen golem, Kale jumped in-between them and blocked the strike with her backup knife.
"Karith, what are you doing? Get a move on and help me out!" said Kale frantically as she began to falter under the larger sword pressing down on her smaller knife.
As one of the bodyguards was attacking Karith and Kale, the other aimed his sights on Leena and readied his sword, swinging at her with no remorse. Leena saw him coming after shaking off the initial shock and tried to dissuade him from attacking, barely dodging the initial blow. "Hey, I'm on your side! What are you doing" she said over the radio.
"I'm following orders," said the bodyguard without a second thought as he continued his assault, swinging his sword with more ferocity in an attempt to cut Leena down.
Leena didn't want to contribute more to the fratricide that day any more than she needed to, but if her opponent kept up his offense, she was going to have no other choice than to use force to defend herself. Her passive dodging and evading was only going to last so long, she thought. As soon as the bodyguard raised his pressgun to fire, Leena pulled out her halberd half of her weapon and expertly swung it upwards with such force, knocking the pressgun right out of his hands and into the air. While the bodyguard reeled from the attack and tried to assess what had just happened, Leena retrieved the other half of her back and combined both pieces, taking a defensive stance in front of her foe.
"Now… you've pissed me off," said Leena as she stared her opponent down.
Meanwhile, Karith was still inside her cockpit, replaying the scene of Morrios' blade piercing through Mikael's chest, unable to wake up from her nightmare; however, once she heard the voice of her friend, Kale, blaring over the radio, Karith snapped out of her stupor and quickly got a hold of the situation she was in.
"Morrios! You're going to pay!" said Karith as she brought her golem back to life. She let out a fierce battle-cry as she got between the two golems locked in combat in front of her and bashed the bodyguard several yards away from them using her shield. She then drew her saber and pointed it at Morrios. "You're next!" she said with gritted teeth, staring straight into his blackened soul.
Morrios smirked, gesturing for the two standard Requins to attack her. The bodyguard on the ground quickly got up, and was about to reengage Karith with his sword, but Kale intervened and swung at him using her knife, causing him to jump backwards.
"Go get 'em, Karith! I got this guy!" said Kale as she motioned for her to continue on.
Karith gave a nod and proceeded onwards, spotting the two Requins that stood between her and the general. Since they were just regular infantrymen, she figured they weren't going to put up much of a fight, so the two-on-one odds didn't faze her as she advanced with her blades drawn. The two Requins stopped in their tracks and aimed their pressguns, firing away as they finally realized who it was they were up against. They knew that Karith was far more superior in terms of close quarters combat than they were, even with the two of them fighting together, so they tried to take her out from a distance before she got too close to inflict major damage.
The incoming fire didn't bother her as Karith raised her shield to deflect the shots and used her boosters to dodge a majority of the rest. Using her high mobility to maneuver, she quickly closed the distance and engaged them with full force. When she was within range, she shoulder-bashed one of the Requins in the pair, using her boosters to throw him off balance and knock him to the ground as she looked to the partner. With a single, well-placed slash, she swung upwards with her saber, slicing off the golem's arm that was holding the pressgun. She then lashed out with a horizontal strike using her bladed shield to hack straight through his legs, severing both of them right above the knees. The enemy golem crumbled to the ground as it lost its stability, unable to pose any more of a threat. As the first golem she struck began to regain its composure on the ground, Karith drew her revolver-styled pressgun and pointed it at him, firing a single shot that knocked off his entire head. Fortunately for them, Karith's quarrel wasn't with the grunts under Morrios' command, but instead with the general himself; therefore, she made sure not to kill the pilots if she could avoid it and instead, took out their golems, rendering them inoperable.
After masterfully dispatching the two Requins under Morrios' command, Karith aimed her pressgun at the general as she stood defiantly in front of him. "I took it easy on your subordinates back there. For you… don't expect as much," she said as she prepared to fire at him.
The general scoffed at her insolence and raised his buster shield, a large shield that resembled the standard Requins' riot-shield, only it was ornately decorated specifically for the general. Seeing him raise his defenses, Karith opened fire as she began walking forward, unloading several rounds into his shield. Even though her bullets were armor-piercing, Morrios' shield seemed to have been reinforced to prevent those types of shots from penetrating. Once she spent her magazine after her bullets pinged off his shield harmlessly, she holstered her weapon and prepared for another close quarters engagement.
As Karith and the general stared each other down, Kale and Leena continued to fight the general's two bodyguards in the background, the two fights appearing to be evenly matched. They too were fighting to avoid fratricide, so they took extra care to not accidentally kill their opponents despite them not restraining their attacks themselves. Otherwise, Kale and Leena would have easily dispatched their foes had they reverted back to lethal force.
Karith tightly gripped her golem's controls as she passed by Mikael's dead golem, trying her best not to let her despair get the better of her. She just kept her gaze straight ahead of her, locked on the general and his lime-green commander's variant Requin. His golem utilized the standard Requin model, but had modifications done to it as most commanders usually did for their golems and equipment. In addition to his fancy shield, he wielded a longsword that had been lengthened a bit more than the standard ones used by the common infantry, giving him more reach in battle. He also toted a pressgun into combat that had a double bayonet attached to the end, resembling a pair of talons facing upwards; however, it was currently holstered at his side as he held his sword and shield in his hands.
Once Karith was clear of Mikael's golem, she charged directly towards Morrios using her boosters, slashing away with her saber as it impacted his shield in a solid hit. Easily blocking the blow, Morrios decided to go on the offensive and lashed out with his longsword, thrusting downwards with his weapon in an attempt to drive Karith back. She refused to retreat and raised her shield, angling it slightly so the attack was deflected rather than fully absorbed by her shield. Her goal was to remain as close as possible during the fight to deny Morrios the full use of his lengthy sword, thus neutralizing his advantage at a longer range. Regrettably, in being that close it was difficult to strike due to his large shield protecting him. She had to find out a way to get around it which was easier said than done, she supposed.
Unable to completely utilize his sword and make use of its full potential, Morrios cocked his leg and delivered a front kick straight into Karith's midsection, pushing her away from him. Karith was dazed by the blow, disoriented for a second as she tried to shake off the dizziness. Unfortunately for her, in that vital second of weakness, Morrios charged forward and grabbed a hold of Karith's shield, ripping it from her arm and tossing it away effortlessly. Before he could strike at her exposed golem with his sword, Karith finally got a hold of herself and dashed backwards, barely dodging the attack as it skimmed her chest, leaving a slight scratch where the edge of his blade touched her armor.
"For being Tulare's former captain, you're not exactly as good as your reputation portrays you as," said Morrios as he prepared his sword for another strike.
Karith sneered at him, only wielding his saber in one hand. She still had her pressgun attached at her hips, but it was out of ammunition; she needed to reload it and there certainly wasn't enough time for that. Without her shield, she had to defend with the only offensive weapon she had at the moment, meaning she couldn't attack and defend at the same time; either that or she could dodge completely, which took more effort and timing to accomplish.
"Just shut your mouth and come at me. Are we fighting or not?" she asked with a hostile tone, trying to remain confident and aggressive.
"I've got all the time in the world, captain. This is my territory, and at any moment of my choosing, I could call for backup and no less than fifty golems will come charging up this hill to come to my aid. However, I don't want to give off the impression that I'm a commander who can't fight his own battles, so I'll take care of you myself," said Morrios, suddenly throwing down his shield and pressgun. "See? I've even relinquished myself of my shield and pressgun, putting us on an even playing field. Just a small demonstration of my… willingness to fight like a true soldier would."
"Pfft, I don't care what you do. You're a murderer! A no-good, stinkin' killer of his own men!" said Karith as she recklessly charged towards Morrios, raising her saber for an attack, She was fighting merely on hatred and emotion at that point, tossing aside proper fighting technique and strategy in favor for brute force as she confronted her adversary.
Being in full control of his emotions, Morrios crouched down and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground as he preemptively attacked before she could. Karith held fast to her blade as she was suddenly knocked to the ground, Morrios' golem menacingly positioned above her. AS she was trying to recover from the attack, the general stood up and stomped her blade into the ground with his foot, placing the edge of his sword on her golem's neck.
"Any last words, woman?" asked Morrios as he looked down on Karith's helpless golem.
As Karith lay there beneath him, she tried to move her saber to strike back, but he had it firmly pinned to the ground. She cursed under her breath as she tried to come up with something, anything to turn the fight around without endangering herself.
Getting nothing but silence, Morrios prepared to deliver the final blow. "As you wish," he said, gripping his sword with both hands and raising it above his head, positioned to impale straight down into her chest at a moment's notice.
Out of options, Karith thought fast and did the first thing that came to mind. While Morrios prepared to bring her sword down on her, she jerked the hand holding the saber and used the leverage to break the blade in half. As the general was about to pierce right into her golem's chest with his sword, she lashed out and outstretched her arm fully, impaling her broken saber into his chest first.
For some reason at that exact moment, the two bodyguards, Kale, and Leena all stopped their fighting to glance over in Karith's and Morrios' direction, seeing the scene of her impaling him all at once.
"General!" said the bodyguards in unison as they momentarily forgot about their opponents.
Seizing the opportunity provided by their enemy's lack of attention, Kale and Leena struck first before the bodyguards realized that they were still fighting. Kale jammed her knife in her opponent's shoulder, prying off the arm holding his sword and smacking him with it. As he was knocked to the ground, Leena swung her halberd and decapitated her own opponent's head in one fell cut, both of them sparing the lives of their enemies.
Once they were done with the bodyguards, Kale went over to help Karith. "Karith, are you all right?" she asked in a hysterical fashion, hurrying over to her.
Still in shock from successfully sticking her knife into the general's chest, she finally withdrew her blade sand pushed him off her. His golem flaccidly leaned off to one side and hit the ground as she sat up, looking at her blade before noticing Kale. "I'm fine. Minor damage," she said as Kale helped her up, although, she was more so talking about her golem than her personal wellbeing. "Hey, can you help me find my shield? This jack-hole ripped it off and tossed it somewhere."
"Uh, sure. Right away," said Kale as she began searching for her custom shield.
As her friend went off to find her shield, Karith was allowed a moment of peace to catch her breath and soak everything in that had occurred up to that point. Her life was spiraling downward at a rapid pace; she had just killed a general in the Alyeskan military and was before that accused of treason. Her friend had just been murdered and her country was on a warpath to rule the entire continent.
After a quick search of the surrounding area, Kale finally came back, toting Karith's shield in tow. "Found it, Karith. Here ya go," she said, helping her attach it back on her arm.
While they were fiddling with the shield, Leena came running over to them, constantly checking over her shoulder. "You two need to hurry and finish whatever it is you're doing. We've got to move. Now!" she said as she fastened her halberd back on her back.
Once her shield was back into place, Karith looked to Leena and noticed her restlessness. "Why? What's the matter?" she asked, still a bit overcome with emotions.
Leena scoffed at her, getting right up in her face. "What's the matter? What's the matter!?" asked Leena rhetorically as she pushed Karith back. "It seems that we had more than just a few spectators watching the fight between you and General Morrios. And what's more is that they saw you kill him! Now they're making their way up here to kill you, and me, and anyone else they catch up here!"
"What!? No way! We didn't kill him! I mean, Karith did, but it was out of self-defense, right? We can just- just explain ourselves, can't we?" said Kale as she began to lose her military bearing.
Leena sneered as she prepped her pressgun gauntlet to fire at the incoming sea of irate, leaderless soldiers. "Perception is reality, I'm afraid. Even though it wasn't us who killed him, we're all to blame in their eyes. The best we can do now is flee and lay low somewhere, waiting for all this to blow over before trying to come out and fix it. If we want to survive this, we're going to need to stick together, despite my malcontent towards one of the members here."
Karith shook off her stupor and gave Leena a nod, not wanting to be there any longer than she needed to, especially with the enemy contacts closing in on them. "Fine, let's get going then," she said as she turned to flee the target area. Suddenly, she spotted Mikael's golem and went back over to him.
Seeing her turn back, Kale stopped to call out to her. "Karith, what are you doing!?" she asked, also readying her pressgun as the Alyeskan golems began firing from beyond their maximum range, rendering their shots inaccurate and ineffective.
"We can't just leave him here!" said Karith as she knelt down beside him, tossing away her broken blade.
"Leave him! If we want to successfully get out of here before we're boxed in, we're going to need to move fast and leave now!" said Leena as she began firing at the incoming threats.
Running out of time, Karith grabbed the only thing she could, his personal rapier. She pulled it from his sheath and got up, dashing over towards Kale and Leena. "All right, let's get out of here!" she said, forcing herself not to shed a tear while during their dire situation. She needed to retain as much of her military bearing as possible, at least, until they were in a safe, secure location.
The three of them bounded over rocks and large lengths of terrain, fleeing for their life as they pushed their golems nearly to the limit in order to put some distance between themselves and their pursuers. Kale was nearly panicked as she had trouble comprehending the situation she was in. Leena, in contrast, just shook her head, cursing the circumstances that landed her a position in that unit. They all remained silent as they eventually evaded the golems on their tail, still searching for a suitable place to rest and recuperate.